Fierce winter winds and heavy rain hammered northern New Zealand, killing five people and cutting electricity to more than 70,000 homes, police and emergency services said Sunday. The weekend storm, which was most intense in upper North Island, ripped off roofs, tore down hundreds of trees and smashed power line poles, cutting off electricity, the Associated Press reported. Driving winds and blizzard conditions on Saturday also forced the evacuation of about 10,000 skiers from Mount Ruapehu in central North Island.
